Risk assessment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in general dental practice

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw may appear as adverse effect in antiresorptive therapy. Its successful treatment is challenging. We aimed to gather the systemic and local factors playing a role in etiology, published after its recognition. Risk factors were collected from the PubMed database 1998-2018. The three main groups of risk patients are: patients starting, patients having antiresorptive therapy, osteonecrosis diagnosed patients. The dentist must recognize risk factors, determine appropriate treatment plan and frequency of check-ups. Oncological disease treated intravenously means the greatest risk. Further systemic risk factors are: supportive therapies, concomitant disease, way of life, individual factors. Local risk factors may be: dentoalveolar surgery, periapical and periodontal inflammation, ill-fitting denture, presence of some anatomical structures. The accumulation of risk factors determines the probability of the manifestation of osteonecrosis. The most favorable case is patient starting antiresorptive therapy with a dental status needing no treatment.